Climbing plants for attracting wildlife
Shop our range of the best climbing plants for attracting wildlife into your garden, the perfect solution for providing vertical ascent in an ecologically-friendly way and in smaller gardens where space it at a premium. Climbers can be a haven for wildlife, while also beautifying walls and fences or covering unsightly objects like tree stumps and old outbuildings. Some will ‘twine’ up their support structure, wrapping their stems around it, whilst other ‘self-clinging’ climbers naturally adhere to the climbing surface using aerial roots or adhesive pads. Twining varieties such as honeysuckle, clematis, climbing jasmine and wisteria will need a support structure they can wrap their stems around; while self-clinging varieties such as ivy, climbing hydrangea, campsis and virginia creeper will cling to walls or woodwork without the need for a support. Honeysuckles are beautiful, evergreen or deciduous climbers with scented, elongated flowers in shades of white, yellows, reds, oranges, pinks and purples. Their blooms provide a plentiful source of nectar for pollinators, followed by rich red berries that make a feast for birds, while their lush foliage provides shelter for small birds and is well-loved by caterpillars. Alternatively, passion flowers have the most exquisite, exotic blooms providing nectar for pollinators, set off against a backdrop of deep evergreen leaves that shelters insects and birds from the rain and predators. Similarly, ivy is another evergreen great for sheltering birds and hibernating insects, while climbing hydrangeas grown on a south-facing wall are a magnet for hoverflies.